Three Little Words
by FriendsToLoversContest
Summary: Just one simple text, three little words, finally launched their friendship into something more. "He dumped me."


**Friends to Lovers Contest**

**Title:** Three Little Words

**Summary: **Just one simple text, three little words, finally launched their friendship into something more. "He dumped me."

**Pairing: **Emmett/Bella

**Rating: **M

**Prompt used: **#1- The One with the Blackout

**Word count: **4386

**Disclaimer: **The author does not own any publicly recognizable entities herein. No copyright infringement is intended.

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The pounding on the door finally registered through the blaring noise of the music in my ears. When I pulled one ear bud out his voice was clear, even muffled through the door and all the way downstairs.

"Bells? Don't make me break this damn door! I don't need your dad coming home to arrest me again!" I couldn't stop my smile as I wiped the remains of tears from my cheeks and tossed my phone on the bed to run down and let him in.

I was surprised to see him here; I knew he had a date with Rosalie when I texted him earlier. Throwing open the door, I didn't even look at him before I launched myself into his arms. "Oh, Emmy! I'm so glad you're here!"

He carried me into the house and shut the door behind us, but not before I saw the flash of lightning outside. Looked like a storm was brewing.

Not wanting him to see my puffy eyes, I tucked my face against his chest as he carried me up the stairs and straight to my bedroom. He just pulled me closer to him and dropped a kiss on the top of my head; Emmett was the best snuggler.

We didn't say a word until he settled himself against my headboard, dropping his huge shoes on the floor as he rearranged me on his lap. I kept my head ducked, and he finally sighed in exasperation, tipping my chin up with his finger. "Come on, Bells. It's me here. You can't hide shit from me."

I looked up reluctantly and met his bright blue eyes, slightly shocked to find them even more serious than I expected. I knew when he saw my text that he would be worried about me, but the worry in his eyes seemed to go beyond that. Intuitively I knew- my best friend was hurting too.

I turned enough to throw my arms around his neck, and I just let the floodgates open. I sobbed out my frustration, my embarrassment, my rage, and finally got to the root of the problem- my utter worthlessness.

Emmett held me, stroking my back and humming softly. I heard him sniffle a few times, and I knew then that there was definitely more to his visit than my own shitty afternoon. If that bitch hurt him, there would be hell to pay. I didn't give a shit if she was Jasper's sister or not, I'd kick her ass for my Emmy. Alice would help me out too- she always looked out for her big brother.

My tears finally ran out, and I wiped my nose on Emmett's shirt just to get a rise out of him. "Damn it, Bells! Why'd you do that? I like this shirt!" He continued grumbling as he pushed me backwards onto the bed so he could pull off his now-soaked polo shirt, which he promptly threw in my face. His white undershirt was even tighter than normal, and I realized with a start that Emmett was _still_ growing! His flexed bicep was fucking massive!

Shaking the odd thought away, I turned my attention to my slightly happier best friend. I gave him my best smile, but he just shook his head and turned his puppy-dog glare on me. I mean, I'm sure it intimidates the guys on the football team, but I know he's just a big teddy bear so it doesn't faze me.

When he lowered his head and actually growled at me, I finally lost it, and I couldn't hold back my giggles. I just rolled over laughing at the indignant look on his face. When he suddenly got a gleam in his eye I was instantly suspicious, but he didn't give me a chance to move before he attacked.

I'm sure the neighbors could hear my shriek when his long, thick fingers were suddenly digging into my side, tickling me mercilessly. "Not scared of me, huh Bells? I don't scare you? I'm gonna tickle you until you give in. I can do this all night..."

Damn it, he always knows my weaknesses. That's the only downfall of being best friends since kindergarten. Fucker knows me too damn well. I managed to hold out a few more seconds before I caved, "Okay, okay! I give up! You're so fucking scary!"

He sat back with a pleased smirk, but I noticed that it still didn't reach his eyes. Once I caught my breath, I leaned over against his shoulder. "Hey, you know you can talk to me, right Emmy?"

The look he gave me was more knowing than I expected. Emmett was acting nothing like himself tonight. He sighed and put his arm around me, pulling me into his side. "Yeah, Bells, I know. But we might need to break into Charlie's stash for this conversation. Is he working all night?"

_Okay, this must be serious._ The last time Emmy wanted to drink was when he broke his ankle the night before the last football game. He pouted until we downed half a bottle of tequila; then he was all better.

"Sure," I said, pulling him up to stand. "You're staying over, right?" Everyone at school was always shocked when they found out Emmett was allowed to sleep over at my house. We'd started having sleepovers when we were five, and we never really stopped. I'm pretty sure Charlie thought that Emmett was gay, but he also loved him like a son. Emmy and Alice needed a father since their dad took off when they were younger, but his mom never dated, kind of like Charlie.

As Emmett got bigger, Charlie started asking him to sleep over when my dad worked nights, so he didn't have to send me to stay with someone overnight. Ms. McCarty worked the night shift at the hospital a lot as well, and she sometimes sent them over to stay, or asked me to come stay at their house. We always joked that things would have been a lot easier if our parents could have fallen in love.

We made our way downstairs, and the sound of the storm outside finally registered in the quiet house. Lightning lit up the windows every few seconds, and the thunder was gradually getting louder and louder. I hoped my dad was okay out there.

I pulled out some chips and dip, and popped a bag of popcorn while Emmett poked through Charlie's liquor cabinet. He really didn't mind if we drank a bit, as long as we stayed at the house and didn't drive anywhere. He also didn't want me supplying anyone else—Emmett didn't count, of course.

Emmy was quiet as we settled on the couch and turned on the TV. It didn't matter what was on—we were there to talk, not to watch. I handed him the chips and dip, settling the popcorn bowl on my own lap as I reached for the drink he handed me. He'd cut the rum

with coke, so he apparently didn't want to get wasted right away.

I watched him for a minute as he toyed with the unopened bag of chips, lost in thought and not looking the least bit happy about it. I set the popcorn aside and leaned over closer to him, resting my hand on his shoulder. "Hey," I said quietly, waiting for him to turn his head and look at me. The pain in his bright blue eyes nearly took my breath away. "What's wrong?"

He sighed and shook his head. "I shouldn't be surprised. I mean, I don't know why she was with me in the first place. I always knew she'd find someone else and leave me."

I knew it. That bitch did something to hurt him, and now I was going to have to kill her. "I'm sorry, Em. Want me to kick her ass?"

My question did its job, and his mouth quirked up in a half smile, though it was clear he was still upset. "After this afternoon, I'd really like to see you try. I couldn't believe the way she reacted when you texted me; she really went off the deep end."

It was my turn to drop my eyes; I knew I had something to do with it. I always fuck everything up. "Shh, Bells. It's okay. Don't cry anymore. I can't stand to see you cry!" I didn't realize I was crying until Emmett brought his huge hand up to my face and started to gently wipe my tears away.

Food and drink forgotten, he pulled me onto his lap and wrapped his strong arms around me. He always made me feel so safe and secure in his gentle strength. My sweet teddy bear. "Bells, you gonna tell me what happened? Do I need to kick that prick's ass?"

I knew he would get it out of me eventually, and I could trust him to keep it a secret from his loud-mouth sister. Maybe talking about it would help me move past the crippling humiliation and disappointment. Emmett would be pissed, but he'd also help me talk through it, just like everything else. The only person we could always count on was each other.

Taking a deep breath, I leaned my head against his chest and focused on his strong, steady heartbeat. He ran his hand over my hair and down my back, instantly calming me enough to speak. "Well, I waited for Edward after school, until he was finished with track. He was the only one in the dressing room since he stayed so long running, and I, uh, went in there while he was showering.

"He was just stepping out when he saw me, and he asked me what the hell I was doing." Just thinking of the words made me cringe. He'd been so angry, so shocked that I would actually want to push our relationship to the next level. Emmett hugged me tighter when he felt my shiver.

"Um, I told him I was ready... you know... ready to do _it._ Ready for... sex." Emmett tensed under me, and I glanced at him in worry. He'd always told me about his sexual experiences, so I assumed he'd be okay with me talking about mine, or my _almost_ experience. Fucking Edward Cullen. Or _not_ fucking Edward Cullen...

"Anyway, he got really angry and then he just... he, he _laughed_ at me! He fucking laughed at me like I was some fucking joke! He said, 'I gave up on getting that from you a long time ago. That ship has sailed, love.' He told me he didn't want me that way, that he wasn't going to waste his time on some naïve virgin."

I swore I felt Emmett growl, and he pulled back enough to look in my face as he shook my shoulders a little. "You listen to me, Bells. You are way too good for that stuck up prick. You're worth ten of Edward fucking Cullen. He never deserved you."

His eyes were darker, and I could see how serious he was. Not for the first time, I wondered why I couldn't date a guy that was as great as Emmett. No one else I had met ever quite measured up to my best friend.

We didn't move for a minute, and I actually started to feel a bit awkward now that my thoughts had taken that turn. He was frowning a bit and seemed to be thinking about something as well, so I finally just leaned over and hugged him, then settled back on the couch to watch TV.

We watched a few old episodes of _Friends_ and made a dent in both the snacks and the alcohol. My embarrassment was draining away with each glass and with the simple comfort of Emmett's presence. The storm had picked up outside, and I worried a little about my dad, hoping he wasn't driving around too much.

I had just reached for another handful of popcorn, planning to throw it at Emmett for the silly impressions he kept doing—he loved repeating Joey's lines—when the power flickered twice and suddenly went out.

I let out a startled squeak, that Emmett answered with his normal laughter, and tried to scoot even closer to him in the dark. He pulled out his phone, casting odd shadows on his face, and stood up from the couch.

I tried to hold onto him, but he pushed me back down, telling me to stay put. "I'm going to find a flashlight. The last thing I need is your drunk, clumsy ass stumbling after me in the dark. It'll be safer for all of us if you stay right there, okay?"

Pouting, I dutifully remained seated, whipping my head back around when I realized I was staring at Emmett's ass. He had a really nice ass now that I was looking, but damn, I must have been totally plastered.

I closed my eyes and tried to get my head to stop spinning, while I told myself that it wasn't _really_ that dark in here. I would never admit it to anyone else, but I had always been afraid of the dark. I slept with my twinkle lights on in my bedroom, and I never ventured downstairs at night if I could help it.

A soft thump nearby made my eyes fly open in terror, but Emmett was there, and he pulled me in for a hug. "Shh, Bells. It's okay. I've got a flashlight, and we can light some candles in your room upstairs, okay?"

I nodded against him, then let him pull me to my feet. I was still a bit woozy, but the fright had sobered me up enough that I was pretty sure I could get up the stairs safely. I had to shake my head when I realized my eyes were once again glued to Emmett's ass in front of me on the stairs. What the hell was in that rum?

The house was eerily quiet with the power off; all I could hear was the storm outside and the sound of our breathing. As my eyes followed Emmett around the room, watching him light the decorative candles I had scattered about, my heartbeat sounded quite loud as well.

I hadn't moved from the doorway when he finished and turned to sit on the bed. He pulled out his phone and scowled at it briefly, before he tossed it on my nightstand and lay back on my pillow. His deep sigh made me realize that while I had talked out my pain, he hadn't said much about his problems with Rosalie.

"Emmy? Did you want to talk about what happened with Rose?" I ventured quietly, walking over to sit on the edge of the bed near his right thigh. He didn't look at me, just put his arm up against his eyes and sighed again.

"Look, there's not much to say. After I got your text, she bitched at me for a few minutes about how I'm always putting you ahead of her, and how I always talk about you, just a bunch of shit like that." I jumped at his words—it sounded almost like Rosalie Hale was jealous of me! That couldn't be right.

"Anyway, she finally got a phone call, and when she finished she told me that she didn't need me anyway, and she had someone who would truly appreciate her greatness or something. It was fucking cheesy as hell, and I was pissed off and worried about you, and I just kind of told her to fuck off." Emmett's face was slightly red as he finished his story, and I couldn't say anything at first because I was completely shocked.

He finally peeked up at me from under his forearm, but the only thing I could say was what was on my mind at that moment. "You told the queen bee, Rosalie fucking Hale, to, and I quote, 'fuck off'? Are you serious?!"

His dimples appeared almost instantly, though he tried his best to contain his boyish smile. "Um, yeah?"

I was laughing as I launched myself at him, throwing my arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. "Oh, Emmy, that was epic! I wish I'd been there to see it. Her face must have turned so red! Did she have smoke coming out of her ears?"

His laughter rumbled deep in his chest, and I leaned up to look in his face as he grinned widely. "Yeah, she was pretty pissed. I'm just glad my Jeep is here tonight. I was a little worried she might try to slash my tires or something."

My giggles tapered off as I looked at him closely. He didn't seem too upset, but then he'd never been that into Rose, not like I was with Edward. Their relationship was more of a status thing than anything else. He looked like he would get over her.

I was startled when Emmett raised his hand to cup my cheek. The electricity from his touch was something entirely new, and I wasn't quite sure what to do with it. He was looking at me like he had never seen me before, and I felt my breathing speed up at the heat in his gaze.

His other hand came up to rest on my lower back, pulling me tighter against his body, and I was shocked when I felt his erection against my thigh. I was even more shocked by how much that thought turned me on. "Em? What are we—?"

"Shh, Bells. Don't think about it. Just, come here." Time seemed to stop as his eyes dropped down to my lips, and I found myself wetting those same lips with my tongue. His bright blue eyes darkened further as he peeked back up at me, then began to pull my face down to his.

I knew this was a huge crossroads. I could push him away, probably hurt our friendship, but maintain the level of connection we'd always had and I had always treasured. On the other hand, I had the sweetest, most loyal, and absolutely fucking gorgeous boy sitting beneath my body, offering himself to me.

As I thought about walking away, the pain in my chest took my breath away. I didn't know what had changed, or if I was just noticing what had always been there, but I knew I wanted Emmett McCarty.

I kept my eyes locked on his as I slowly lowered my lips. He lifted his head and met me halfway, giving me the sweetest, gentlest kiss I'd ever experienced. It was achingly tender, the lightest press of his lips against mine, but it felt like a shockwave went through me.

My eyes opened when he pulled back, and I wasn't even sure when I had closed them. He had a slightly anxious look on his face, and for the first time since I met him, he actually looked unsure. I reached up and touched my lip, realizing I could still feel the connection between us, and I knew this was it. This was the real deal. He was _mine_.

I laughed a bit at his startled moan when I wrapped my arms tight around him and dove into his mouth. He had one hand on my ass and the other under my shirt on my back. We kissed like we'd been dating for months; there was no awkward adjusting or uncomfortable fumbling. We belonged together.

He finally pulled back to catch his breath and I just moved my lips down to his neck. He smelled so good—just a light spritz of cologne and the rest was all Emmett. He was comforting, familiar, and I definitely wanted more. "More, Em."

He looked at me questioningly as he started to raise my shirt, and I just sat up and pulled it off to answer him. His eyes widened as I reached for my bra, and I smiled as he swallowed when my breasts were revealed.

His hands on my skin kept my nerves at bay, but I was burning with desire as he scooted me down to press our groins together. "Bells, I need you. _Please!_"

In a flurry of movement, we had stripped off the rest of our clothes and were kneeling together on my bed. I was in awe of his body—he was so muscled _everywhere_. My hands kept tracing the tops of his thighs, mesmerized by the huge muscles bulging there. He finally took one of my hands and put it right on his cock, and I couldn't help but giggle at the frustrated look he gave me.

"What? You know I don't know what I'm doing here, Em. I'm just following your lead," I told him as I raised up to kiss him again.

He dropped his forehead against mine and gave me a smile that made me feel absolutely cherished. "I know, Bells. And I'm so grateful. You know I love you, but you need to know that I'm _in_ love with you."

I laid my head against his chest and smiled, "I love you too, Emmy. Always."

He turned and laid me carefully on the bed, before kneeling between my legs. I suppressed the urge to cover myself from his hungry gaze, but I threw my head back in ecstasy as soon as his tongue moved down to taste me.

I tried not to focus on the fact that he clearly knew exactly what he was doing as his fingers and tongue brought me to the edge much faster than I had ever done myself. I looked up when he called my name, and watched him roll a condom down his rather impressive length as he watched my face for any last reservations. I had none. "Just take me, Em."

He kissed me deeply as he slowly worked his way into my body, and I found myself oddly grateful that Edward rejected me. This would have never been this special with him. He didn't treasure me the way Emmett did, and I knew this thing between us went so much deeper than anything we'd had with anyone else before.

"I love you, Bells," he murmured against my neck as he began to move slowly in and out. I was soon lost in the feelings of his hard body pressing against and into mine. My hands explored his body, feeling his huge muscles move under his skin with each thrust, and when I finally got my hands on that luscious ass, I squeezed it as hard as I could.

We came together, a sweaty tangle of limbs, and he nearly collapsed on me before he caught himself and rolled to the side. "That was amazing, Bella. So good."

"Mmmhmm," was my incredibly witty response. He held me there for minutes, or hours, until the lights came blazing on with no warning.

The mood was broken, but as I looked at Emmett, I knew nothing between us would ever be the same. He was my best friend, but now he was my lover, and there was no better combination than that. I felt like I could conquer the world, as long as he was by my side.

The morning came entirely too early, and we braced ourselves for the reaction at school. We had no intention of hiding the new status of our relationship, although I did stop him from announcing it on Facebook like he'd wanted to do the night before.

My dad looked at us suspiciously over the breakfast table but didn't say anything until Emmett kissed me when I handed him his plate and said, "Thanks, babe." Charlie just grunted and went back to eating, so he must not have been too upset. I was sure our parent-approved sleepovers would be coming to an end, though.

As we pulled into the parking lot, my eyes were immediately drawn to a couple on the front steps of the school. Her blonde hair was blowing in the wind, and his carefully styled bronze coif waved back lazily. Most of the students standing around were looking between them and Em's Jeep.

We parked but didn't get out right away, wanting to see what they were going to do. I already had my suspicions, based on the timing of the calls that Edward and Rose sent and received yesterday afternoon, but I didn't say anything to Emmett in case I was wrong. Judging by the way they were kissing, quite awkwardly, it looked like I was right on target.

Emmett surprised me by letting out a huge laugh. "Well, I guess we know who we got dumped for!" He chuckled darkly. "What do you say we give 'em a show of our own?"

Every eye in the parking lot turned our way as we climbed out of the jeep, laughing loudly. Em walked around to my side and didn't waste a second as he picked me up and pulled my face to his for a kiss. I wrapped my legs around his waist tightly, barely hearing the cheers and whistles from our fellow students.

We walked into school hand in hand, with our heads held high. Alice squealed as we walked past her, and she threaded her arm through my free one. Emmett gave nods and fist bumps to his friends as we passed, and I felt my cheeks heat up at the appreciative looks they gave me.

Edward and Rosalie had disappeared by the time we reached the door, but I was walking on clouds with Emmett's hand in mine. When I left this school yesterday I was devastated, in tears, and hoping my best friend would come cheer me up. Little did I know how much that one little text would change my life. From "he dumped me," to "I love you" in just a few short hours. Such a difference three little words can make.

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